Somali, South Sudan police train in Kigali

A team of 32 senior police officers from four post-conflict countries, including the world’s newest nation South Sudan and troubled Somalia, yesterday, began a two-month training programme at the Rwanda National Police headquarters in Kacyiru, Kigali.The trainees, who also include officers from Burundi and Rwanda, are attending a managerial and supervisory skills course. Participants will acquire technical skills in preventing, detecting and investigating transnational organised crimes. They will also train in police command dimensions, leadership as well as management and human rights issues, according to organisers.The course was opened by the Internal Security Minister Sheikh Musa Fazil Harelimana, who said the training will help equip participants with skills to deal with sophisticated crime.“New crime trends require regular and more focused training programmes to keep law-enforcers abreast with the level of sophistication used in organised crime,” he said, urging participants to make good use of the training opportunity.The minister added that the region and the world cannot preserve peace and security unless law-enforcers were in position to adjust to the ever-changing security dynamics.Ten of the trainees are from South Sudan, five from Somalia, while Burundi and Rwanda have five and 12 participants, respectively. RNP officers are facilitating the course.The National Police Academy Commandant, Assistant Commissioner of Police Felix Namuhoranye, said Rwandan police was happy to help build professional police forces in other post-conflict countries. “We are stronger together as a team,” he said.Rwanda maintains 13 police officers as well as 850 military peacekeepers in South Sudan, as part of the international community’s efforts to help stabilise the youngest country which only celebrated its first independence anniversary on July 9. Somalia, which is set to hold its first general elections in years next month, has been boosted by recent battlefield successes by an African Union peacekeeping mission, composed largely of Ugandan and Burundian troops, which has greatly reduced the threat of Al Qaeda linked Shabaab militants over the recent months.On July 6, Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed completed a two-day official visit to Rwanda as part of a regional tour aimed at seeking further support as his country bids to end more than two decades of anarchy. The Rwandan military has also previously trained 98 Non-Commissioned Officers from Somali army. RNP officers decoratedIn a related development, Rwandan Police officers serving under the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were on July 12 decorated with the United Nations Medal and certificates in recognition of their “outstanding and exemplary performance in capacity building for the South Sudan National Police Service”.According to a statement from the RNP, the RNP contingent commander in UNMISS, Chief Superintendent Francis Nkwaya, thanked his colleagues for their “exemplary service and dedication to UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan)”. He encouraged them to perform even better.“You are ambassadors of Rwanda and should always endeavour to lift your country’s flag high in the areas where you are deployed” Nkwaya said.UNMISS Police Commissioner Dr Fred Yiga thanked the Rwandan officers for their “professionalism, commitment and dedication in achieving the UNMISS mandate”.“This medal award is not a routine exercise. You have earned the medals and you should, therefore, wear them with pride,” Commissioner Yiga said. “South Sudan National Police Service is a nascent institution and your knowledge of post conflict policing will be added value to the development of the Police”.The event was also attended by Brig. Gen. Andrew Kagame, the Rwanda Military Contingent Commander in UNMISS, the Mission Police Chief of Staff, among others.